The Crimson Kingdom
The Crimson Kingdom is a large realm consisted of roughly two million people ruled by the Crimson King, an ageless and all powerful ruler, and his small council, the kingdom maintains a theology based around the duelist nature of day and night. Geography Most of the Crimson Kingdom is temperate in climate with lush plains located around the Capital City south to the Sea, the Mountains of the Moon to the West, and hardwood forests to the South East. Two major rivers, the Silver and the Corley, flow through the kingdom with the Corley flowing south to Baelor's Sea and the Silver River flowing east from the Mountains of the Moon. In the Southwest lies the Wastes, a land of desert and sand, in which few live and is more or less independent of the kingdom. The far North is a high steppe ravged by the Warlock-Khans, savage nomadic tribes that preform fell magic and raid villages of the borderlands. Settlements Throughout the Crimson Kingdom there are many small settlements complimented by the large fortresses and cities scattered throughout the land. The North The North contains only two large settlements. Of those two settlements, it is Vandall's Keep that is most foreboding. A feudal holding built by the Vandall family just over two centuries ago, the keep houses a large garrison to maintain order and defend against the enemies in the North and includes a powerful covenant of Black Magi in addition to a the largest bastion of Priests of the Crimson Order outside of the Capital Providence. The current family of the keep is the duchess and mage, Claire Vandall, known for her ruthlessness and deceivingly innocent demeanor, and her young son, Fitzwilliam. To the East lies Bernard, a hearty town composed of inns and taverns for the local woodsmen and a few hardy farmers able to somehow support the city despite the hardships of the North's poor soil. The Capital Providence The Capital Providence is a densely populated area located across the northern bank of the Silver River. Here lies the Capital City, a city of around 40,000, that contains the Crimson Palace, Bard's College, High Temple of the Sun and Moon, and largest bastion of military might in the kingdom. Immediately to the the East is the Black Abbey, where new Nightsworn Members are initiated into the order and trained and the Nightsworn's largest holding. The Eastern Providence The Eastern Providence is composed of the land east of the Corley River and south of the Silver River. The only large settlement is Knutt, made up almost entirely of a garrison of the Crimson Order and furriers that trap the region's lush forest. The Central Providence A loosely defined area from the south of the Silver River to the Inquisitor's Castle east to the Corley River, the Central Providence includes the mines of the Mountains of the Moon and the Inquisitor's Caste itself. The mines in this providence provide the iron, coal, and silver that the kingdom uses in steel and coins. The Inquisitor's Castle contains the dungeon in which most prisoners are cast and is maintained by the Crimson Order, though the most important political prisoners and those caught within the Capital Providence can be found in the Royal Dungeon below the Crimson Palace. The castle is well defended and serves as the training grounds for the Crimson Order. The South The South includes the large city of Port Lyr in addition to the smaller settlements of Bennett and Blue Pine. Port Lyr is by far the most important of three with a far greater population and constantly bustling with trade. It is said anything can be acquired at its busy docks, and the kingdom is far more lax in its enforcement of laws here in the name of far trade. Located to the East of Port Lyr, Bennett, has a fair number of musicians and a large temple dedicated to the Lord of Dawn. Bennett takes its name from its ruling family. Blue Pine is a traditional city with a providential way of thinking. It is ruled by the Walton family. Politics The Crimson Kingdom operates under a feudal system in which there are five high lords (dukes and duchesses) under which lower level vassals (counts, countesses, barons and baronesses) serve. Separately, the different clerical organizations have their own hierarchies. Below any landed nobles or clerics are the guildsmen, a catch all class of skilled labourers, physicians, lawyers, sailors, and merchants, and the yeoman, men who own and farm their own land, and the serfs that are bound to their masters land and obliged to serve their masters as levies in times of war. Notable Families House Bennett House Bennett is a notable house of moderate power that prevails over the town that bears their family name. The Bennett House is currently headed by Count Peter I, a somewhat distrusted individual known for his envy and use of underhand tactics. that rules from the Keep of Bennett with his wife Isabel. The family has long resented the High Lordship's of the South belonging to House Lyr and has form long-standing rivalry with House Lyr as a result. This is turn has earned them a ill-liked reputation among other noble houses, though amongst the small folk of the realm they are held in high esteem. They are among the most generous of the noble houses and employ no serfs as has been their custom for over two hundred years. House Hausberger The Hausberger family of the Crimson Kingdom is of the same blood as the mighty Hausberger family of the Kingdom of The Scarlet Eagle. Founded by a rebellious uncle exiled by his ruling nephew generations ago, the Hausbergers of the Crimson Kingdom consider themselves the blood enemies of the rulers of the Kingdom of the Scarlet Eagle and have renounced the religion of the "blasphemers and pretenders" that rule in St. Albans today. Their piety is unmatched in their service to the Lord of Dawn. The last three Grand Princes of Dawn have belonged to their family, as is the current Grand Prince of Dawn, Sige the Monk, and to the males of the family the Crimson Order has offered the chance for great prestige and the chance fight their blood-sworn enemy. The family's holdings are only a small manor within the Capital Providence and another outside of Blue Pine, however, currently both the Inquisitor's Castle and the Crimson Order itself are led by members of House Hausberger. House Leah House Leah of Knutt oversees the Duchy of the Eastern Providence. Traditionally, House Knutt has been known to less ressemble nobles than just lucky trapsmen. They are the poorest of the major houses and possess only a minor manor in the town of Knutt. The current head of the family, Lord Wyndan, has set out to change that. Currently an ambitious young leader with four daughters and no sons it is unclear how long he will last in the rather Byzantine political landscape that is the kingdom, but one way or another he will undoubtedly leave a mark on the family. Whether this will be a dark stain or something more positive still is something that even the best diviner would be hard to guess. House Lyr House Lyr occupies the title of the Duchy of the South, and oversees the primary port in the kingdom. This house is known for being incredibly wealthy to the point that it is a common snide that you can tell a member of House Lyr by the number of chins. The current lord fits this well enough, Lord Rewalt is huge and jovial man, but the heir is undoubtedly the skinniest in generations. Nicknamed Gejery "the White", he is a reserved man of platinum blonde hair, fair skin, and a thin and bony composition. All are rare for a man of the South, especially one of the Lyrian line. Rumours persist that he is not a child of Lord Rewalt at all, rather, the by product of a secret relationship between a manservant and the lord's wife, Sine, yet Lord Rewalt will hear nothing of it, and has designated him heir over his other three sons. House Mann House Mann oversees the mines in the West. They are known for harsh enforcement of the laws of the land and using prison labor. The current head of the house is Lord Reigner V, an old man missing his right eye and right hand, who speaks in a low growl. His wife has not been seen in years, though she bore him children as recently as the previous year. He is greatly reviled throughout both kingdoms and is proud to display his maimed arm which he credits to killing the last king of the Kingdom of the Scarlet Eagle. His five sons and three daughters and has elected to give his land by Ultimogeniture succession, meaning that his youngest male child shall inherit. This is the opposite of what the majority of the lords of the kingdom do, but no one seeks to challenge House Mann, long ago deciding it is best to leave Reigner alone. House Walton House Walton is a minor family that rules over Blue Pine. House Walton is known for its peaceful nature, Blue Pine rarely finds itself troubled by enemies, and House Walton has more or less always enjoyed prosperity. House Walton is an old house, predating the Crimson King's rise to power by about five hundred years. The current head of House Walton is Count Warder II, a quiet man, who seems happy enough to stay out of politics. He has several children, all of which have remained in his court, and is known to have a distaste for those lords that take part in active politics. Blue Pine itself has hosted the meetings of many lords and lordlings over disputes throughout the years and some of the hinterlands around it contain holdings owned by other houses. House Vandall House Vandall is an ancient house claiming to be descended from the rulers of the mythic realm of Vandalia. Long have they ruled the North and the Duchy of the North falls upon this family. The current head of the senior branch of the family is Duchess Claire Vandall, a woman of considerable magical ability and a member of the Nightsworn's Black Magi. Her six-year-old son, Fitzwilliam Vandall, is the designated heir to Vandall Keep and the Duchy of the North. Claire is rarely seen but maintains a strong presence in her lands and is ruthless when enforcing law. Religion : Religion in the Crimson Kingdom is essential to the socio-political processes behind the throne. The duelist religion consists of two deities, the Lady of Night and Queen of the Moon, whose domains include night, darkness, death, love, poetry, and song, and the Lord of Dawn and King of Light and Father to the King. His domains include fire, life, birth, war, day, and light. The Night Orders : The Night Orders is a collective term encompassing several religious organizations that revere the Lady of Night. Of all of the Night Orders, only the Dreamers are common throughout the empire, and while the Nightsworn maintain several castles throughout the land, only a single temple is dedicated to the Moonchildren. *The Moonchildren - A female religious priesthood of girls from ages 12-18 dedicated to chastity and devotion to the the Queen of the Moon. The daughters of the temple are overseen by a matron appointed by the Black Queen. Members are encourage to pursue a romantic and idealistic and style of courtly love, are active only during the night, and are taught the basics of and poisons. Members may chose to join the Nightsworn, the Dreamers, or leave the Night Orders. The only temple dedicated to this order is located in the capital city just outside of the royal gardens. *The Nightsworn - A militaristic organizations female courtesans, priestesses, and assassins, the Nightsworn master the use of shadow manipulation and poison. Within the Nightsworn lie the Black Magi, an elite group of mages that participate in necromancy and are given positions of high accord. The Nightsworn serve directly under the Black Queen. *The Dreamers - The only Night Order open to both men and women, dreamers focus on benefiting the community and the fine arts. Many serve as mages and seers in small communities. Unlike the Nightsworn, the Dreamers are more common in rural areas than large cities. The Dawn Orders : The majority of people in the kingdom favor the Lord of Dawn as their patron deity. The Crimson King is believed to be a son of the King of Light, and as such the worship the Lord of Dawn is encouraged more so than even the Lady of Night. *The Sunchildren - Analogous to the Moonchildren, the Sunchildren are also all female and pursue many of the same disciplines. Although properly part of an order of their own, their temple shares the same ground as that on the Moonchildren, however, they are only active during the day while the Moonchildren are active only during the night. Sunchildren have a matron chosen by the Grand Prince of Dawn. *The Crimson Order - The Crimson Order is a zealous monastic order that proclaims itself the self-righteous keepers of morality and law throughout the kingdom. The Crimson Order offers two paths, the warrior and the priest, and are lead by the Grand Prince of Dawn, appointed by the king. This order serves as the backbone of the kingdom's professional army, and the king's personal guard is composed of members of this organization. *Lightbringers - The Temples of the Lightbringers are the most common in the realm. Members serve as clergy for the general population and strive to aid their local communities. They are also among the most devout in the land, living modestly as an act of charity to the land. Heretical Sects *Pampiltanes - The Pampiltan Dynasty ruled the kingdom ages ago before the Crimson King, using what was said to be his blessed might granted by divine will, overthrew the last king of the dynasty. There are those that claim that his descendants are those chosen by the Lord of Dawn to rule the kingdom and the Crimson King employed fell magics to gain the throne. These are the most hated enemies of the established churches. *Mother Cult - The mother cult argues that is one deity, the Queen of the Sun and Moon. This heresy may have ancient roots in the region, and followers believe that both the Moonchildren and Sunchildren are corruptions of the original temples of the Queen. The "return" of this religion can be traced to a woman named Sylvia Yves, a former matron of the Moonchildren, about 100 years ago. The Crimson King is not believed to be divine in this heresy, as he claims to be the son of a false god. *Witches - Any magic user that does not belong to the church or is not in service to a feudal lord is deemed a witch and persecuted without mercy. Language The Crimson Kingdom has been linguistically distinct from other languages form thousands of years. Over time it has incorporated elements of the Ancient Tongue and some other languages from before the Second Dawning of Civilisation. It has also been influenced by some of the prononciations of the Common Tongue. Pronunciation The language of the Crimson Kingdom is known as Bessersanich, ''and has many similar vowel sounds to the Common Tongue even though it has a very different lexicon and grammatical construction. It is important to note that "Long Vowel" sounds are only achieved by a vowel followed immediately by an "E". For example, ''aet ''is pronounced like "ate", but the pronunciation ''bemet ''be closest to "beh-met". The only exception to this rule is when y serves as a vowel. In this case it is always a " long I" sound. Also note that there is no "soft C", C is always pronounced the same way as a "K sound", and an E at the end of a word produces the "short A" sound. Articles The first major difference between the common tongue and ''Bessersanich ''is the fact that ''Bessersanich ''possesses three definite articles, ''thae, thaetet ''and thaet, which are used in the nominative, accusative and dative case respectively. Take the following sentence as an example: ''Thae Cyn frere thaetet Ringe met thaet Maten. '' The above translates to "the queen gives the ring to the women," with Cyn being the subject in the nominative case and thus receiving ''thae, Ringe ''being the direct object in the accusative case and thus receiving ''thaetet, ''and ''Maten ''being the indirect object in the dative case and thus receiving ''thaet. Dative Prepositions Certain prepositions indicate the dative case. These are the following: *''aet - near, beside *''apft ''- after, since *''beferet - ''from, out of *''bemet - ''into *''cryt - ''across from, opposite to *''fer - ''for *''met ''- to *''rit - ''with An example would be the following sentence: ''Bemet thaet Meer comet thae Maenen. Sentence Structure "The man went into the marsh," is the English translation of above and one can clearly see that Meer ''received ''thaet ''because it immediately followed a prepositional phrase beginning with ''bemet. Manen ''received the normal t''hae ''as the subject. In the above one can also see a common form of sentence structure. When beginning a sentence with a prepositional phrase the verb comes before the subject and if time was given it would come before the verb. However, it is equally common for one to order a sentence like the above in the following way: ''Thae Maenen comet bemet thaet Meer'.'' Here the subject comes before the verb and the place. Since both are equally acceptable, one may here both in a conversation. The only time the sentence must follow a certain order is when asking a question: Thae Maenen com'et '''bemet thaet Meer?'' In a question the subject must always come first. Pronouns and Verb Conjugation Verb conjugation is another important aspect of the language, and to understand the verb conjugation one must know the pronouns. *''ae ''- I *''mae, ma, merh - he, she, it *''yin - ''you (singular informal) *''yimaeten,yimaten - ''you (singular formal male), you (singular formal female) commonly contracted to yimae and yima *''yere ''- you (plural) *''poli - ''they Most pronouns also change to a separate form used in both accusative and dative case, and ''yimae/yimaten ''have a different form for each case. *''ae - am ''(both cases) *''mae - mir ''(both cases) *''ma - mi (both cases) *''merh'' - no changes *''yin - yins (both cases) *''yimaeten/yimaten - no changes *''yimae/yima'' - yims ''(accusative) ''yimaeya ''(dative) *''yere - ''no change *''poli - polem ''(both cases) Even when the form pronoun changes, the conjugation is the same: *''ae - root com *''mae, ''''ma, m'erh ''- root + e come *''yin - root + tet cometet'' *''yimaeten, yimaten, yimae, yima - root + en comen'' *''yere - root + ere comere'' *''poli - root + t comt'' To make any verb past tense root + et ''is the formula (''comet). Culture The culture of the Crimson Kingdom has long set it apart from its neighbors. Religion has played a great role in the development of unique customs and the Crimson King's rise to power has caused culture to have shifted very little over the past eight hundred years. For these reasons the Crimson Kingdom remains culturally unique. Art remains mostly dedicated to religion and portraits conditioned by nobility. Art Art is an important part of the culture of the Crimson Kingdom. Painting has long been encouraged among the clergy, and as a result a large amount of religious work is represented in temples across the kingdom. Most of the painted art can be described as using the style of Romanticism to bring out emotional qualities in scenes and landscapes. It addition to painted art, weaving is a common form of art work in the northern reaches of the kingdom. Intricate patterns are often woven into wool thread to express a multitude of symbolism. Poetry Poetry is encouraged among the Dreamers, the Sunchildren, and the Moonchildren, but while the Dreamers right a wide variety of poetry, the others focus more on the sonnet. The sonnets of the Crimson Kingdom resemble the English Sonnet and are the normal fourteen lines. Surprisingly, not uncommon for such poems to be written in languages other than Bessersanich ''with a good number produced in the Common Tongue and the elite even learning to write in the Ancient Tongue. Music Three types of music enjoy popularity in the Crimson. The first is the folk ballad. Usually these have simple melodies and chord progressions and are often preformed by a single instrument or in small trios or quartets. Aristocracy generally enjoys orchestral symphonies. These often use a large number of horns and wind instruments and feature frequent crescendos. The last type of music is choral music. Choral music is common in the holy orders and among the wealthiest nobility. Choral songs are very rarely sung in the Common Tongue. Bessersanich and the Ancient Tongue are most common languages for choral music to be written in, and the ability for a choir to sing in the latter or giving patronage to one signify good-breeding, high prestige, and wealth. Cuisine Cuisine in the Crimson Kingdom varies greatly by region though several foods are common in the kingdom. One of these is a thick barley cake known as ''Kayta. ''This is primarily a peasant dish, easy to make, and surprisingly filling. Some variants are made with wheat and the wealthy may occasionally consume an oat ''Kayta. Another common food in the kingdom is a spiced curry made of beef, pork, chicken, or venison. Venison, however, is much rarer than the others. Most consumption of venison occurs in the East or the North, both which are more likely to salt meat than to cook curries. In the South, especially on the river or the coast, far more seafood is consumed. This seafood is, however, still supplemented by grains which often are soaked in a viscous fluid resembling olive oil. Clothing Clothing varies depending on wealth and region. The North and East are more rustic in dress and often incorporate fur and buckskin. Only the most wealthy in the North possess woven fiber and in the its East even rarer. In the interior, woven clothes and wool become the norm. Both the capital and Port Lyr have unique fashion. In the capital the richest in the realm wear long silken robes. Females often possess hoods, and the men often try to embellish their robes to make for a grand display of wealth. Women's robes are generally flowing but lack the amount of fine detail that men put into them. In Lyr, the clothing is rather cosmopolitan and encompasses nearly everything. In Lyr one might see a turban wearing man with a fur coat or a skirt wearing man with mutilated ear lobes, though the first is unlikely only due to the warm weather of the coastal town. The Court of the Crimson King The Court of the Crimson King is made up of those that hold positions of power and those that the king sees fit to allow audience. In addition to the positions below, the Bardmaster of the Capital City Bard College and several other entertainers are commonly present. The Crimson King : The Crimson King is an ancient humanoid that appears not to age. He is widely regarded in good regard by his people and is given the position of god-king in the average household. The Crimson King is considered a demonic creature by those who follow the religion of the Scarlet Eagle, and this has but the Crimson Kingdom in a constant state of hostility with the neighboring kingdom to the West. The Crimson King has no family, frequently employs entertainment, and is believed to have god-given powers and unnatural strength and fortitude. He stands slightly taller than a man and has an inhuman mouth full of sharp teeth. The Black Queen : The Black Queen is the official head of religion in the kingdom. An ancient being, the Black Queen has been in power for as long as the Crimson King has reigned. She is an accomplished magi, who has control over a vast array of necromancy and the Nightsworn. It is rumored that she is not immortal, but rather she requires a the sacrifice of a beautiful maiden each year to maintain her youth. Her main functions within the council include feats of magic and issuing religious proclamations as well as being the court inquisitor. The Fire Witch : The Fire Witch is a mysterious female figure that is a recent addition to the court. Clothed in a red hooded robe, her face is never seen, but it is rumored to be extremely beautiful. She is, for the most part, a mute courtier, and when she speaks she rarely utters more than a single word. She has the ability to transform at will into a massive bird composed entirely of fire, but during such a transformation see becomes nothing more than a beast bent on wanton destruction with no resemblance to a human mind. The Wisemen : The wisemen are the king's personal seers. Skilled in the art of divination and prophecy, the wisemen offer a vital service to the king and are always present. The Grand Prince of Dawn : The Grand Prince of Dawn is the head of the Crimson Order and appointed by the king to head the military of the kingdom. The enforcement of law and defense of the kingdom fall under his domain, and it is he who is responsible for maintaining the status of religion in the realm. Lord Mayor of the Capital Providence : The Lord Mayor of the Capital Providence is elected by the aristocratic families in the capital providence. He is the symbolically in charge of the capital's defense and is the Keeper of the City Keys. His main duties include the maintenance and improvement of the providence. Lord Speaker : The Lord Speaker position is occupied by one of the five high lords of the kingdom and rotates annually. His inclusion on the council is to represent the interest of the lords of the kingdom. Category:Grimoire of Shining Black